Political factors
State of denial: adolescent reproductive rights in Zimbabwe
Legal and administrative reform needed to secure adolescent reproductive rights in Zimbabwe
Authors:
; CRLP
Publisher:
Center for Reproductive Rights, formerly known as the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, New York, 2002
This report, produced by the Center for Reproductive Rights, documents the legal, policy and social barriers which prevent Zimbabwean adolescents from accessing dual protection methods and information. The investigation reveals a systematic denial of this right, which is the product of several interacting factors: an inconsistent and ambiguous national legal and policy framework, which creates a grey area for 16-17 year olds; insufficient provision for adolescents in national anti-discrimination law; restrictive interpretations of the framework by public health providers; the requirement for parental consent for access to reproductive health services and information for those under 18; and unreceptive attitudes towards adolescents seeking such services, particularly those who are unmarried or living in rural areas.
The paper calls for the Zimbabwean government to take steps to provide adolescents with dual protection methods and information. This should include simplifying the legal framework to promote the ability of young people to obtain methods of contraception and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention. The government must also examine the way current policies relating to adolescents are being implemented, and enact changes to ensure that their human right to access dual protection methods and information is being upheld.
